Surprise Attack on the Blacksmith Association

"Hoo, hoo, hoo—"

Rain lashed against Pei Wen's face, making it impossible for him to keep his eyes open. He had no choice but to rely on his spiritual power instead of his physical sight to determine his direction.

Have the people from the Spirit Pagoda discovered me yet?

He guessed to himself. He hadn't bothered to conceal his movements earlier, and he wasn't that far from the Spirit Pagoda.

"Hm? They're catching up?"

His second soul ring flickered. This was his detection-type soul skill, which allowed him to attach his spiritual power to the areas he passed through, enabling him to continuously monitor soul power fluctuations there for a certain period.

Now, in his perception, people had suddenly entered that villa, and someone was also pursuing him along the route he had flown.

"Is it another soul master with a flight-type martial soul?"

Pei Wen terminated his second soul skill and poured all his soul power into accelerating.

Knowing someone was chasing him didn't make him panic; instead, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Come on, all of you, chase me. Just make sure you don't let me get away..."

Amidst the curtain of rain, a pair of fiery red wings evaporated all the moisture that drew near. Leng Yaozhu maintained a steady, unhurried pace as she flew in pursuit of her target.

The small Soul Guidance Communicator in her ear occasionally relayed reports from the Spirit Pagoda's technicians.

"Very good. Continue observing the other target and report to me at any time."

In the shadow of a skyscraper, a figure in a black robe poked his head out, watching Leng Yaozhu fly off into the distance.

"Who is that? Her soul power fluctuations are so powerful; they feel on par with the Elders."

"Lord Mo Su, what should we do now?"

Mo Su was the middle-aged Evil Soul Master who had been leading them earlier.

He gave a sinister, charming smile. "I never expected that a casual move played as a distraction would fish out such a big catch. Since this person has left, the Spirit Pagoda has even less strength to resist us! Hahaha, heaven truly helps me. That woman is a fool to have fallen for such a simple ruse."

"Indeed, Lord Mo Su's calculations are divine!"

The Evil Soul Masters nearby whispered excitedly.

"Alright, let's remain hidden. We'll proceed with the plan in a moment." Mo Su looked toward the tall tower looming in the distance through the torrential rain. "Once it's done, everyone will be rewarded with a soul spirit."

"Long live Lord Mo Su!"

Upon hearing Mo Su's words, the Evil Soul Masters became even more agitated.

For Evil Soul Masters like them, soul spirits were a hot commodity. Being able to obtain one directly would save them a tremendous amount of effort.

On the other side, Shi Qian, the Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult leading this operation, also received the message from Mo Su. He breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming that the unknown powerhouse had been lured away.

"Very good. But to be safe, let's make this quick."

Shi Qian looked toward the distant Blacksmith Association. That was correct; attacking the East Sea City Spirit Pagoda was merely a diversion. His true target was the Blacksmith Association.

Through special channels, he already knew that Mu Chen and the other high-ranking blacksmiths had gone out for a meeting. Now, only ordinary blacksmiths remained, making this the most vulnerable moment.

Compared to soul spirits, the special metals used to craft battle armor were far more precious. The Blacksmith Association naturally functioned as a storage facility for these special metals, making it the perfect place for a "procurement" run.

A banner emitting black mist appeared in his palm, and the sound of wailing constantly emanated from within.

It was his martial soul—the infamous Ten Thousand Soul Banner!

Nine soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black—appeared around him.

The next moment, his sixth soul ring lit up. The Ten Thousand Soul Banner in Shi Qian's hand surged with ghostly energy, and several pale soul bodies fused with the black mist, transforming into a pale beam of light that slammed directly into the distant Blacksmith Association.

"BOOM—"

The outer wall of the Blacksmith Association was blown open, revealing the space inside.

"Go!"

At Shi Qian's command, he took the lead, leaping up and flying directly toward the massive hole.

The remaining Evil Soul Masters swarmed toward the Blacksmith Association with red eyes, like jackals fighting over food. Those capable of flight followed closely in Shi Qian's footsteps, while those who could not fly slaughtered their way into the first-floor lobby.

In an instant, all manner of soul skills flashed through the building, accompanied by constant explosions, screams, and cries for help.

Wherever Shi Qian passed, souls were sucked into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner by the black mist surrounding him. Whether they were staff members or blacksmiths, they fell like wheat before a scythe.

"Hehehe, this is the feeling—a wonderful taste!" Shi Qian's face turned an unnatural shade of pale, but the aura around him grew steadily stronger. He extended a scarlet tongue to lick his lips. "Ah~, the souls of blacksmiths are truly delicious. They have a hint of smoke and fire; they're much better than those of ordinary soul masters!"

Downstairs, Yun Xiaoling had sensed something was wrong the moment the explosion occurred. She pressed the emergency button at the front desk without a moment's hesitation.

The next instant, alarms blared in every forging room. The East Sea City Administrative Office and the Mecha Master Brigade would receive the alert simultaneously.

Yun Xiaoling let out a sigh of relief and hurried toward the back of the Blacksmith Association. There was a pre-designed shelter room there, present on every floor, and this one was specifically for people in the lobby to hide in.

As for the blacksmiths still working, they could only remain in their own forging rooms; there wasn't enough time to reach the shelter.

Just as she reached a corner, Yun Xiaoling glanced back and happened to see the first wave of Evil Soul Masters pouring in through the entrance.

"Evil Soul Masters!?"

Yun Xiaoling's internal alarm bells rang wildly. She scrambled into the nearby emergency shelter and pressed a button.

The next moment, several soul guidance mechanisms whirred into motion, and the shelter door instantly merged with the wall, leaving no trace that an entrance had ever existed.

Inside the room, the soul guidance shield generator began to hum. Yun Xiaoling slid down the wall to the floor, grateful that she was the only one on duty in the lobby today.

She let out a long sigh of relief, yet her heart remained filled with confusion. How could an Evil Soul Master suddenly appear in East Sea City?

However, there was nothing she could do now. Most of the experts in the association were away at a meeting, so she could only hope that the City Hall and the Mecha Master Brigade would arrive in time to provide support.

In the forging room, Tang Wulin had initially intended to go out and see what was happening after hearing the explosion, but the blaring alarm immediately extinguished that thought. He hurriedly locked the forging room door from the inside.

What on earth is happening? Tang Wulin's brows were tightly knitted. Through the wall, he could barely make out the screams and explosions echoing from outside.

"BOOM—CRASH—"

Just as his mind raced with wild thoughts, a muffled explosion rang out right beside him.

Something had blasted a hole through the wall of the forging room!

"Heh heh, this door is damn sturdy! Good thing the wall isn't as tough." A tall Evil Soul Master with the body of a wolf-beast stood there, grinning hideously at Tang Wulin while dangling a lifeless corpse in his hand.

Behind him, six soul rings—yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, purple, purple—revealed his status as a powerful Soul Emperor.

But Tang Wulin's gaze was locked onto the corpse in the man's hand. Its neck had been bitten through, and blood was still dripping steadily onto the floor.

"Peo... people are dead?"